Railway coupler attachment



Feb. 25, 1958 L. E. FURNISS 2,324,652

RAILWAY CQUPLER ATTACHMENT Filed Aug/.6, 1954 ATTORNEY United States Patent RAILWAY COUPLER ATTACHMENT Loree Elwyn Furniss, Groveport, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application August 6, 1954, Serial No. 448,175

6 Claims. (Cl. 213-69) The present invention relates to a railway draft rigging and more particularly pertains to improvements in an attachment for connecting the rear end of the stem of a railway coupler to the yoke and more specifically pertains to a member which serves both as a radial connection and a radial connection seat for a draft appliance.

It has been the practice in the past in connection with tightlock couplers to provide a casting which is known as a radial connection to which the rear end of the coupler shank is connected by means of a vertical pin for pivoting movements in a horizontal plane and the radial connection is coupled to the yoke by a horizontally disposed pin. Another element was required in such a rigging which has been known as a radial connection seat having a generally cylindrical concave surface fitting about a generally cylindrical convex surface carried by the rear end of the radial connection. These mating arcuate surfaces concentric about the axis of the yoke pin were for the purpose of facilitating vertical angling of the radial connection and the coupler and to avoid angular movements of the radial connection seat in vertical planes during vertical angling of the coupler and thereby avoiding disturbing fiat bearing engagement of the butt end of the seat with the front follower. It was necessary in the past to accurately grind or otherwise finish the cylindrical concave surface on the radial connection seat and to abrade or otherwise finish the convex surface at the rear end of the radial connection in order to have these parts properly cooperate with each other. It was also necessary to accurately gauge the axis of the yoke pin receiving opening with respect to the convex cylindrical rear end surface of the radial connection. It was further' necessary to finish the shoulder surfaces on the radial connection seat and the rear butt end surface was also required to be finished with considerable accuracy in order to provide the relatively small tolerances required for a tightlock coupler draft rigging.

It is an object of the present invention to provide -a member for connecting the rear end of the coupler stem to the yoke and to transmit bufiing forces to the draft gear in the form of a one-piece element to thereby eliminate the necessity of finishing two arcuate surfaces required in the past for providing such means and at the same time to provide means which functions to prevent drooping of the connecting member after the vertically disposed coupler shank pin and associated surfaces have worn.

In the prior arrangement whereinthe assembly between the rear end of the coupler stern and the coupler yoke included a radial connection and a separate radial connection seat it is possible for the radial connection to droop when the vertical pin connecting the coupler stem to the radial connection and associated surfaces have worn.

Under such conditions and when pulling forces or buff forces were applied to the assembly the radial connec tion is abruptly shifted to a horizontal position and the top and the bottom lugs of the coupler move into im I pact contact producing noise which was transmitted to the W 2,824,652 Patented Feb. 25, 1958 car body making the prior device undesirable for passenger car service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting member between the rear end of the coupler shank and the draft gear having a rear end portion integral with the forward portion and a butt endsurface in engagement with the front follower whereby the connecting member is held in proper horizontal position to avoid impact thuds as pulling or bufiing forces are transmitted through the appliance.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the railway coupler and draft attachment art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a draft appliance assembly illustrating a connecting memberexhibiting the invention in association with the coupler stem and the yoke.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the combined radial connection and radial connection seat member.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connecting member shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the connecting member.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the butt end of the coupler stem.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a rear end portion of the coupler stem.

The present invention is directed to a combined radial connection and a radial connection seat to provide a onepiece connecting member thereby eliminating a number of finishing operations required inconnection with the prior arrangement and simplifying the casting of the connecting member. The formation of the two elements as an integral member permits vertical angling of the coupler within prescribed limits. Referring to the drawing there is shown at 10 a member designed to serve as a radial connection and a radial connection seat which is formed as a single unitary element. The connecting member 10 may be formed in a casting operation and there is no articulation between the forward portion and the rear butt end 11. The forward portion of the member 10 is provided with slots 12 for receiving ears 14 (Fig. 6) carried by the rear end of the coupler stem 16. The structure of the forward portion of the member 10 is substantiallly the same as a corresponding part of the known radial connection and includes horizontally disposed vertically spaced webs 17, 18 and 19 having aligned vertical openings 20 therethrough for receiving bushings 21 and a vertically disposed pin 22 to connect the rear end of the coupler stem 16 to the member 10. The pin 22 is retained in place by means of a key 23. which extends horizontally through openings 24 formed in spaced lugs carried by the lower portion of the member 10. The key 23 extends transversely of the lower end of the pin 22 and holds it in place in a well known manner. The coupler stem 16 is thereby coupled to the'member 10 and it may angle horizontally about the axis of the pin 22. 1 e

The combined radial connection and radial connection seat 10 is provided with a transversely disposed tothe draft gear 31 and the front follower 32. andlthence to lugs or the like carried by the body structure of the vehicle.

The rear portion of the connecting member is formed integral with the forward portion and the butt end 11 is finished to provide a flat surface which is in engagement with the front follower 32 when there are no butting or pulling forces applied to the draft rigging. Under such circumstances the resilient character of the draft gear 31'urges the follower 32 forwardly against the fiat butt end 11 to maintain the member 10 in a hori' zontal position. Accordingly when pulling or bufiing forces areapplied to the coupler stem 16 the connecting member 10 is not abruptly shifted into a horizontal position and there is no impact noise developed for transmission to the car body. Even though the pin 22 and associated parts become worn there is no tendency for the connecting member to droop about the axis of the yoke pin 27.. Thus thuds and like noises which result from upward kicking of the radial connection of the prior type of assembly are avoided.

The formation of the forward portion of the connecting member 10 integral with the rear portion removes the possibility of articulation between the seat portion and the forward end portion but vertical angling of the coupler .is still provided for because of the spaces shown at 41 and 42. The horizontal distance between the knuckle pin (not shown) of the coupler and the axis of the pin '27 amounts to about sixty-four and three quarters inches so that vertical angling of the coupler about the axis of the yoke pin throughout an arc of three inches produces only three-eighths of an inch of movement of the rear end portion of the connecting member. Ample space is provided at 41 and 42 (Fig. l) in a standard type yoke for accommodating such vertical angling movements of the rear end of the member 10. The vertical angling movements of the coupler stem 16 are resisted by the resilient action of the draft gear 31 and the follower 32 reacting against the butt end 11 of the combined radial connection and radial connection seat member '10.

The connection member 10 requires grinding or finishing of the flat surface 11 only so that the location of this surface with reference to the surface 46 on the butt end of the yoke may be properly positioned. In one embodiment the distance between the surface 46 and the rear butt end surface 11 is twenty-four and fiveeighths inches and the surface 11 may be machined or ground to maintain such dimensions. After the surface 11 has been finished the only other critical manufacturing tolerance to be maintained is the location of the axis of the opening with reference to the surface 11. It is not necessary to machine or grind any other surface on the casting forming the connecting member 10.

The butt end surface 11,is arranged in a plane parallel to the axis of the opening 25 and also parallel to the axis of the openings 20. The surface 11 forms the rear face of a vertically disposed wall 51. This wall joins the top and bottom webs 52 and 53 of the rear portion. A strut 54 connects an intermediate portion of the wall 51 with a .boss 56 in which the opening 25 is formed. Vertical webs 57 and 58 join the wall 51 with the strut 54 and the boss 56 and the webs 52 and 53.

In operation and when pulling forces are applied to the coupler stem 16 the connecting member 10 transmits such forces to the forward end of the yoke 29. The yoke transfers the pulling stresses to the draft gear 31 where they are applied to the front follower 32 and to the vehicle bodystructure. A rearward movement of the coupler stem 16 applies the bufiing forces to the connecting member 10 through the pin 22 and engagement of the convex end surfaces 61 on the coupler stem with the concave surfaces 63 of the connecting member. The bufling forces are transmitted by the butt end surface 11 onto the follower 32 and through the draft gear to the rear draft lugs. The yoke does not transmit the bufling forces to the body structure of the vehicle.

While the invention has been disclosed as having particular utility in association with a tightlock coupler it will be appreciated that the connecting member may be used with other railway couplers in various types of service. Other types of yoke and draft gears may likewise be used. Such changes and others including modifications of the connecting member 10 may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a draft rigging for railway vehicles, a coupler stem having a butt end, a yoke, a connecting member, a vertically disposed cylindrical pin connecting the butt end of the coupler stem to said member, a horizontally disposed cylindrical pin connecting said member to a forward portion of said yoke, a portion on said connecting member rearwardly of said horizontal pin integral With a forward portion, a fiat butt end forming the rear extremity of said member, a draft gear and a'front follower mounted within the yoke, and said rear butt end of the connecting member being in fiat engagement withsaid follower in the absence of pulling or bufiing forces on the coupler stem.

2. A member for connecting the coupler stem of a railway coupler to a yoke comprising, a forward portion on said connecting member, horizontally disposed vertically spaced webs carried by the forward portion, said Webs having vertically aligned openings therein, said forward portion having a horizontally disposed cylindrical opening therethrough, a rear portion on said member integral with the forward portion, and a flat butt end surface on the rear portion arranged in a plane parallel to the axes of all of said openings.

3. A connecting member for coupling the stem of a railway coupler to a yoke comprising, a forward portion on said connecting member, horizontally disposed vertically spaced webs carried by the forward portion, said webs having vertically aligned cylindrical openings therethrough, said forward portion having a horizontally disposed cylindrical opening therethrough, a boss surrounding said horizontal opening, a rear portion on the connecting member joined with the forward portion and to said boss, and a flat'butt end surface on the rear portion arranged in a plane parallel to the axes of all of said openings.

4. A connecting member for coupling the stem of a railway coupler to a yoke comprising, a forward portion on said connecting member, horizontally disposed vertically spaced webs carried by the forward portion, said webs having vertically aligned cylindrical openings therein, said forward portion having a horizontally disposed cylindrical opening thercthrough, a boss integral with the forward portion surrounding said horizontal opening. a rear portion on the connecting member having top and bottom webs integral with the forward portion, a wall joining rear ends of said Webs, a flat face forming the rear surface of said wall arranged in a plane parallel to the axes of all of said openings, and means joining said Wall to said webs and to said boss.

5. In a draft rigging for an interlocking railway coupler, a coupler stem having a butt end, said butt end having a vertically disposed cylindrical opening therethrough, a yoke having horizontally disposed cylindrical openings in forward portions thereof, a member extending from the butt end of the coupler stem into the forward portions of said yoke, said member having vertically disposed openings in a forward portion thereof, a vertically disposed pin extending through the opening in said coupler stem and through the vertical openings in said member connecting the butt end of the coupler stem to said member, said member having a horizontally disposed cylindrical opening therethrough, a horizontally disposed cylindrical pin extending through the horizontal openings in the yoke and through said horizontal opening in said member connecting the yoke to said member, a resilient draft gear and a follower within the yoke, a flat butt end forming the rear extremity of said member arranged in a plane substantially parallel to the axes of all of said openings, and the butt end of said member engaging said follower.

6. In a draft appliance for an interlocking railway coupler, a coupler stem, a yoke having vertically disposed forward portions thereon, a member arranged rearwardly of the coupler stem and extending within the forward portions of said yoke, a vertically disposed pin connecting the rear end of the coupler stem to a forward portion of said member whereby the coupler stem may angle horizontally relative to said member, a horizontally disposed pin connecting said member to the forward portions of the yoke whereby the member and the coupler stem may angle vertically relative to the yoke, a flat butt end forming the rear extremity of said member arranged substantially parallel to the axes of both of said pins, and means including a draft gear resiliently engaging said butt end to prevent drooping of said member about the horizontally disposed pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,399,609 George Dec. 6, 1921 1,399,610 George et al Dec. 6, 1921 2,023,801 Akitt Dec. 10, 1935 

